Fort Riley Families got a taste of the Holiday season early this year during the Exceptional Family Member and New Parent Support ProgramsAca,!a,,c Holiday Celebration at RileyAca,!a,,cs Conference Center.

Fort Riley police officers talked with some students at Fort RileyAca,!a,,cs Elementary and congratulated the fifth-grade students for their completion of a 10-week course in drug abuse resistance education, better known as DARE.

With the release of the ArmyAca,!a,,cs latest field manual 7-0, Training for Full Spectrum Operations, Deputy Chief of Staff G-3 Lt. Gen. James D. Thurman told Pentagon reporters yesterday that within three months the Army would be releasing FM 7-1.

Troopers of the mounted color guard at Fort Riley will perform their duties at the ultimate change of command ceremony when they ride in the Presidential Inaugural Parade for President-elect Barack Obama Jan. 20 in Washington.

A film crew from Ignited LLC, an advertising agency in El Segundo, Calif., came to Kelley Hill Dec. 12-14 to capture Soldiers at work for a new series of recruitment videos.
The videos will be used to put together interactive videos for recruiters to show potential recruits various military occupation specialties (MOSs) and what each job entails.

First Lt. Philip Sakala became a third generation paratrooper Dec. 13 when his grandfather, retired Col. Jack Ancker, pinned his Airborne wings on during a graduation ceremony at Eubanks Field on Fort Benning, Ga.

WAIKIKI, Hawaii Aca,!" Soldiers and family members looking for a night out on the town neednAca,!a,,ct look any further than the Hale Koa Hotel.
The hotel is not just for vacationers and it offers a wide variety of entertainment options for everyone from the single Soldier to couples and children in every price range.

ItAca,!a,,cs almost 5 a.m. on Dec. 11.
Sgt. 1st Class Gabriel Lopez just got to work.
The first thing he does is check the weather forecast online. The chance of rain is 100 percent and thunderstorms are anticipated.
Lopez is a drill sergeant with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment and his Soldiers are supposed to spend the day on the range.
Aca,!A"The rain wonAca,!a,,ct stop us,Aca,!A? he says, Aca,!A"but if thereAca,!a,,cs lightning, weAca,!a,,cll have to wait it out in the shelter.Aca,!A?

Staff Sgt. Aaron Price, a drill sergeant with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment, had never punched one of his Soldiers. On Tuesday, he did it repeatedly Aca,!"Aca,!" in the presence of Lt. Col. Collin Fortier, his battalion commander, and Capt. Matthew Graessle, his company commander.
Price was not out of line, though. His job was to act as an assailant during the companyAca,!a,,cs certification of 32 Basic Training Soldiers in Level 1 of Modern Army Combatives. The objective during the certification is for the Soldiers to ward off an attacker by achieving one of four possible clinches.

One-hundred thirty-two push-ups in two minutes, 114 sit-ups in two minutes and an 11-minute, 53-second 2-mile run.
These scores earned Pfc. Holden Isley a total of 402 points on the extended scale of his Basic Combat Training Army Physical Fitness Test, one of the highest 3rd Battalion, 13th Infantry RegimentAca,!a,,cs drill sergeants have seen.

Hold your head up, hold it high!
More than just a cadence, those words are the message the new command sergeant major for the Adjutant General School and the AG regimental corps has for all Soldiers in the adjutant general branch.
Command Sgt. Maj. Darlene Hagood became the sixth Soldier, and the first female, to hold those positions during a change of responsibility ceremony, Dec. 11, at the SSI auditorium. Hagood said one of her first priorities is to instill a greater sense of pride throughout the corps.

I am not skipping Christmas this year like I did last year.
You wonAca,!a,,ct find a Scrooge here. You know the type: nothing you do can make him or her happy. He has strong opinions about everything, and it is rarely positive. No Aca,!A"bah-humbugsAca,!A? from me.
How can anyone be Aca,!A"scroogyAca,!A? at this time of year, with colorful decorations everywhere, pretty lights brightening up the night sky and parties with friends and loved ones to attend' Of course, I have bad moods like everyone else, but luckily my trials are now in perspective.

FORT HOOD, Texas -- The SoldierAca,!a,,cs face was lit by the soft glow from the three flat screen computer monitors lined up in front of him. His eyes flew over a rotating virtual battlefield. He could see where every friendly vehicle and unit was and instantly communicate with them.

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany Aca,!" Most of us have heard that U.S. government agencies, including the Department of Defense Aca,!" down to every individual work center and administrative support office Aca,!" are required to buy Aca,!A"greenAca,!A? products. But letAca,!a,,cs take a step back for a minute to review what that means.

Col. Ronald Kapral, the commander of 81st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, Washington Army National Guard, along with his brigade staff, takes time to wish the rest of the brigade, who are stretched across Iraq, happy holidays Dec. 12, 2008, at Camp Ramadi, Iraq. The 81st HBCT's 3,400 Soldiers deployed to Iraq in late October in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Dec. 18, 2008 Aca,!" Although far from home, a deployed Soldier here will continue a long-standing holiday tradition with his family in Louisiana. Every Christmas Eve, Lt. Col. Stephen Jeselink, Task Force Warrior deputy commander, reads the poem Aca,!A"The Night Before ChristmasAca,!A? to his family Aca,!" a tradition he started 18 years ago when the family was stationed in Karlsruhe, Germany.

HEIDELBERG, Germany (Dec. 18, 2008) -- Gen. Carter F. Ham, commanding general of U.S. Army, Europe and Seventh Army, signs the Warrior Healthcare Covenant at USAREUR headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany, Dec. 18. The covenant is a committment to quality health care, assistance and a healing environment for Soldiers and their families, said Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker (second from right). Spc. Derraivius Strawder, a wounded Soldier from the Warrior Transition Unit in Baumholder, Germany (right), attended the ceremony as a representative of USAREUR's wounded warriors. Ham, who has a son-in-law attached to a Warrior Transition Unit, called the covenant an important symbol of the Army's commitment to Soldier care. Also pictured are USAREUR Command Sgt. Maj. Ralph Beam (left) and Brig. Gen. Keith W. Gallagher, USAREUR command surgeon and commander of the Europe Regional Medical Command.

WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD, Hawaii Aca,!" The 599th Transportation Group at Wheeler Army Airfield is getting into the spirit of the holidays by sponsoring an Army family.
The Smock family grew from two members to six, Oct. 8, when Belinda Garza-Smock had quadruplets Caiden Matthew, Christian Thomas, Cameron Matthew and Chloe Isla at Tripler Army Medical Center.

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii Aca,!" More than 30 people crowded into a small room at the Main Post Chapel Annex here, Dec. 13, for an informative briefing to kick off the Aca,!A"Family Strong Series.Aca,!A? The event was presented by 25th Infantry Division, Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) and Schofield BarracksAca,!a,,c Health Clinic.

Navy Admiral Mike G. Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Maj. Gen. Robert L. Caslen Jr., commander, Multi-National Division Aca,!" North, prepare to board a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter as the U.S. military in Iraq leaders embark on a trip visit to Samarra, Iraq, Dec. 18. While in Samarra, Caslen and Mullen visited the Mosque of the Golden Dome with several officials of the Government of Iraq and other U.S. military leaders. (Photo by Pvt. 1st Class Jesus J. Aranda, Task Force Lightning Public Affairs)

Thanks to a lot of hard work by students and instructors at the depotAca,!a,,cs Career Academy, Anniston Army Depot was able to participate in the City of AnnistonAca,!a,,cs Aca,!EoeGo GreenAca,!a,,c Christmas Parade Dec 5.
The parade goers lined up along Noble Street were able to see the craftsmanship of area high school seniors employed here under the depotAca,!a,,cs high school cooperative education program.

ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala. -- 'Elves' plugged away at the depot over the past month to bring a bit of Christmas cheer to local children under the care of DHR. The depot delivered five truckloads of Christmas gifts to Calhoun CountyAca,!a,,cs Department of Human Resources on Dec. 16 as part of the annual Christmas Cheer Program.

ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala. -- Equipping our troops through public-private partnering is not new to the depot and defense contractor BAE Systems. The two have been teaming up to repair combat vehicles and other military equipment since 1994, and the relationship is still one that gives BAE Systems, formerly United Defense, a profound footprint on the depot.

More than 1,000 4th Brigade Combat Team Soldiers returned from Operation Iraqi Freedom from Dec. 8 to 15, greeted by thousands of anxiously awaiting Family and friends, arriving in weather conditions that ranged from mild sunny mornings to chilly midnight-breezes.

More than 3,000 Families, Soldiers, veterans and members of the Stewart-Hunter community came to WarriorAca,!a,,cs Walk to pay honor to the 417 fallen 3rd ID Soldiers by placing a wreath at the base of each Eastern Redbud tree, Dec. 13.

Every afternoon for the past few weeks the United Parcel Service delivery truck makes a stop at Army Community Service. The man in brown gets off the truck, opens the cargo door and begins unloading a vast number of packages, some big, some small onto a dolly or pull cart.

Once confined solely to the pages of science fiction, remotely controlled robots are now commonplace on todayAca,!a,,cs battlefield, extending the reach of bomb experts and being used extensively to search for and destroy booby traps intent on killing U.S. troops.

Members of the Directorate of Emergency Services (DES) at Fort McPherson and Fort Gillem, along with Forest Park Fire Department firefighters, Forest Park, Ga., teamed up in early December for hazardous material training. Each certification level is a DoD and International Fire Service Administration Firefighter certification requirement. The training included awareness, operations and technician and incident command levels proficiencies.

KABUL, Afghanistan Aca,!" The Afghan National Army Air Corps has received the first three of six Mil Mi-35 attack helicopters, adding to its growing capabilities. The helicopters, donated by the Czech Republic, were refurbished by members of Combined Security Transition Command Afghanistan.

It was a free-for-all of food Dec. 12 at the official opening of the Delta Holiday Military Lounge on concourse B at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
Servicemembers and their Family members, Delta Airlines employees and volunteers shared an abundance of donated food platters in celebration of the loungeAca,!a,,cs availability to traveling troops.

HeAca,!a,,cs one of the few, one of the proud, but heAca,!a,,cs not a Marine.
As a Catholic chaplain ministering to military Catholics, Chap. (Lt. Col.) Dennis Niemeier is a minority in the ranks of the Armed Forces.

HEIDELBERG, Germany (Dec. 18, 2008) -- Gen. Carter F. Ham, commanding general of U.S. Army, Europe and Seventh Army, signs the Warrior Healthcare Covenant at USAREUR headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany, Dec. 18. The covenant is a committment to quality health care, assistance and a healing environment for Soldiers and their families, said Army Surgeon General Maj. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker (second from right). Spc. Derraivius Strawder, a wounded Soldier from the Warrior Transition Unit in Baumholder, Germany (right), attended the ceremony as a representative of USAREUR's wounded warriors. Ham, who has a son-in-law attached to a Warrior Transition Unit, called the covenant an important symbol of the Army's commitment to Soldier care. Also pictured are USAREUR Command Sgt. Maj. Ralph Beam (left) and Brig. Gen. Keith W. Gallagher, USAREUR command surgeon and commander of the Europe Regional Medical Command.

HOHENFELS, Germany (Dec. 18, 2008) -- The 39th Transportation BattalionAca,!a,,cs 66th Transportation Company continued its preparations for deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom by training at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center here earlier this month. Aca,!A"We are going to be pulling line haul missions all over (the OIF) theater and to other locations. We will basically be the distribution line for the entire theater,Aca,!A? said Capt. Christopher Brown, the 66thAca,!a,,cs commander.

HEIDELBERG, Germany Aca,!" In the little more than a year since the Army Family Covenant was signed at U.S. Army Garrison Heidelberg, it has made a positive impact on the garrisonAca,!a,,cs family programs.

Lt. Gen. Joseph F. Fil, Jr., 8th U.S. Army Commander, salutes farewell to Gen. George W. Casey, Jr., Chief of Staff of the United States Army at Yongsan Garrison, South Korea during the Chief of StaffAca,!a,,cs annual holiday visit Dec. 18.
Photo by SSG Sadie E. Bleistein, 8th U.S. Army PAO

Grammy award winning musician Kid Rock, American Idol contestant and country musician Kellie Pickler and musician Zack Brown entertain troops stationed at Kandahar, Afghanistan during the 2008 USO Holiday Tour. Tour host U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, along with his wife Deborah, welcomed comedians John Bowman, Kathleen Madigan and Lewis Black; actress Tichina Arnold on the tour bringing music and entertainment to service members and their families stationed overseas.

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany (Dec. 18, 2008)-- Sedrick Robinson may be better than Santa Claus. While Santa is seen only during the holidays, Robinson, the joint mobility processing center deployment operations support manager for the United Service Organizations Kaiserslautern, provides cheer and acts of kindness year-round. Though it may be hard to tell from his cumbersome job title, Robinson simply makes things as easy and as comfortable as possible for the Soldiers who process through the Deployment Processing Center and Aca,!A"purple rampAca,!A? here. Soldiers deploy from the DPC on Rhine Ordnance Barracks and redeploy via the purple ramp on Ramstein Air Base. Both facilities are operated by U.S. Army Europe's 21st Theater Sustainment Command.

Every year as winter sets in, homemakers begin struggling with keeping mold growth to a minimum. The damp conditions that come with the season make it prime growing season for the spores which cause mold growth. Molds reproduce by means of tiny spores; the spores are invisible to the naked eye and float through outdoor and indoor air.

BAMBERG, Germany -- The Exceptional Family Member Program is receiving enormous praise by the military community and is being viewed as one of the premier initiatives the Army has taken in recent years to care for service members and their Families.

SCHWEINFURT, Germany (Dec. 17, 2008) -- Improvised explosive devices have taken a terrible toll on servicemembers in Iraq -- a fact Spc. Jake Altman knows all too well. In 2006, after serving two years in the Army, Altman deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with Bravo Company, 9th Engineer Battalion. The battalion, part of U.S. Army Europe's 172nd Infantry Brigade, was stationed just north of Baghdad at Camp Taji. There, the specialist's colleagues say, he impressed them with his drive. "Altman was hard-working. He was self-assured and got along with everyone," said Spc. Jason Ogarro.

FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii Aca,!" In life, 1st Lt. Jonathan P. Brostrom was a known as a demanding leader who worked hard to ensure the well-being of his men and to foster a sense of teamwork among the troops.
The courage of the young leader would be put to the test when he was sent off to war in the combat zone of Wanat, Afghanistan, where he fought a fierce battle against outnumbered enemy forces Aca,!" on July 13. Brostrom, and eight other Soldiers gave their lives that day when they paid the ultimate sacrifice to save their Aca,!A"battle-buddiesAca,!A? and repel the attack on their remote outpost.

President George W. Bush gave the Army War College students a unique opportunity to hear his thoughts on strategic leadership and national security as he thanked them for "the honor of a lifetime: to serve as your Commander in Chief."

The Army should be on target with its language and cultural capabilities within five to 10 years. By then, every Soldier should have a broad competence in cultural knowledge and should posses at least some rudimentary capability in a foreign language.

FORT SHAFTER, HAWAII DEC 17, 2008 - More than 1,000 U.S. Army, Pacific "One Team Warrior Runners" welcomed the
holiday season at Fort Shafter as they ran about three-miles in formation, led by LTG Benjamin R. Mixon,
Commanding General, USARPAC and other members of the command group, circling around the post and concluding at
Palm Circle with remarks and a safety briefing.